Review of Up in the Air (2009) by Jonathan B — 27 Jul 2014

Ryan Bingham makes a living by firing employees on behalf of companies all over the USA. He lives his life out of a suitcase and spends much of his life in the air. It's a lifestyle he loves and he has no room for commitment, love or family matters.

Then, on a stopover, he bumps into Alex, a business woman with a similar lifestyle. The two spark up a relationship governed by the dictates of their respective schedules, but it works. Into the mix, along comes Natalie, fresh from college and bursting with ideas of how to save money in the company Ryan works for.

This is a odd twist on the buddy/road movie formula and is a delightful film. The three leads are played by George Clooney, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick and each is very strong in their respective roles and sympathetic to the other characters.

This is a witty, bitter-sweet movie with an unhurried feel despite the frenetic amount of travel. Scenes are allowed to unfold at a gentle pace giving the characters a real depth and roundedness and enabling the audience to properly bond with them.

Funny in parts, moving, uplifting and a bit sad, I probably wouldn't have chosen to watch this at the cinema, but it was a perfect movie to watch curled up on the sofa late one night for a couple of hours.